Though not required, you may use a URITK page to gather your research for your final exam. The questions that you should address include:
What is the problem or issue?
How Teacher Accountability, standards, and assessments effects schools
Why is this issue important?
We need to be able to gauge how effective a teacher is in school for the educational system to improve.
What is the historical roots of this problem? What has been tried in the past?
From No Child Left Behind, it was attempted for teachers to be responsible for the outcome of standardized testing
What are the current approaches?
Standardized testing and few visits to classes
How does this problem/issue relate to RI schools? Is there evidence of a connection to the schools/districts/communities that we researched earlier?
What are your views, opinions, concerns, or solutions related to the problem?
Teacher Advancement Program
Teacher evaluation is always changing because the important factors of schooling have changed throughout the years. Overall, teacher evaluation has bee overlooked and not taken as seriously as it should be. In the past few years, steps have been made to improve teacher effectiveness through evaluation and accountability. With the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), teacher evaluation has begun to be seen as much more of a priority. This program aims to implement many different methods of evaluation in contrast to what already exists. TAP has a different approach to evaluation. it consists of both qualitative and value-added components. Therefore, there will be evaluation by multiple visits by highly trained advisors throughout the year to grade teachers from a rubric. the rubric will have four sections: designing and planning instruction, classroom learning environment, instruction, teaching responsibilities. This should carry out consistency in evaluation. Also, there will be a value-added component which will be a little different than the black and white approach to standardized test. Instead of evaluation on achievement, the evaluation will be of growth. That way, a teacher is not punished for setbacks in student's low level performance before coming to that class.[1]
Drive On to Improve Evaluation Systems for Teachers
Teacher evaluation has been overlooked. evaluation doesn't mean enough in today's systems because pay is based on experience rather than effectiveness. Therefore, if a teacher is not worried about a fluctuation in pay, he/she therefore won't care as much about accountability or effectiveness making the evaluation not have enough value. Also, evaluation of teachers needs to help improve rather than focus on getting rid of the unsuccessful. This brings a better attitude toward teacher evaluation. Standardized testing for teacher evaluation don't work the way they are supposed to because they only test basic skills. Also, most teachers don't even teach the subjects presented on the tests. Finally, before an effective method of teacher evaluation can be created, there needs to be standards. Without standards, there can be no real conclusions drawn on effectiveness[2]
Race To the Top
After no child left behind was seen as an unsuccessful way of evaluation, ideas were further developed. Right now, with Race to the top, it is putting a lot more emphasis on better ways to evaluate teacher effectiveness. It recognizes that teachers cannot be held accountable by just test scored and student achievement. There are a lot more variables. With this system, it is encouraged that teachers be evaluated by the growth of their students rather than just their knowledge. It recognizes also that there needs to be a much bigger emphasis on qualitative evaluation like the classroom visits. Also, they propose a change in par for teachers that reflects of the outcome of their evaluation which is based on four components 1) Knowledge and skills
2) Professional evaluation
3) Market incentives
4) Student growth [3]
- What is the problem or issue?
How Teacher Accountability, standards, and assessments effects schools- Why is this issue important?
We need to be able to gauge how effective a teacher is in school for the educational system to improve.- What is the historical roots of this problem? What has been tried in the past?
From No Child Left Behind, it was attempted for teachers to be responsible for the outcome of standardized testing- What are the current approaches?
Standardized testing and few visits to classesTeacher Advancement Program
Teacher evaluation is always changing because the important factors of schooling have changed throughout the years. Overall, teacher evaluation has bee overlooked and not taken as seriously as it should be. In the past few years, steps have been made to improve teacher effectiveness through evaluation and accountability. With the Teacher Advancement Program (TAP), teacher evaluation has begun to be seen as much more of a priority. This program aims to implement many different methods of evaluation in contrast to what already exists. TAP has a different approach to evaluation. it consists of both qualitative and value-added components. Therefore, there will be evaluation by multiple visits by highly trained advisors throughout the year to grade teachers from a rubric. the rubric will have four sections: designing and planning instruction, classroom learning environment, instruction, teaching responsibilities. This should carry out consistency in evaluation. Also, there will be a value-added component which will be a little different than the black and white approach to standardized test. Instead of evaluation on achievement, the evaluation will be of growth. That way, a teacher is not punished for setbacks in student's low level performance before coming to that class.[1]Drive On to Improve Evaluation Systems for Teachers
Teacher evaluation has been overlooked. evaluation doesn't mean enough in today's systems because pay is based on experience rather than effectiveness. Therefore, if a teacher is not worried about a fluctuation in pay, he/she therefore won't care as much about accountability or effectiveness making the evaluation not have enough value. Also, evaluation of teachers needs to help improve rather than focus on getting rid of the unsuccessful. This brings a better attitude toward teacher evaluation. Standardized testing for teacher evaluation don't work the way they are supposed to because they only test basic skills. Also, most teachers don't even teach the subjects presented on the tests. Finally, before an effective method of teacher evaluation can be created, there needs to be standards. Without standards, there can be no real conclusions drawn on effectiveness[2]Race To the Top
After no child left behind was seen as an unsuccessful way of evaluation, ideas were further developed. Right now, with Race to the top, it is putting a lot more emphasis on better ways to evaluate teacher effectiveness. It recognizes that teachers cannot be held accountable by just test scored and student achievement. There are a lot more variables. With this system, it is encouraged that teachers be evaluated by the growth of their students rather than just their knowledge. It recognizes also that there needs to be a much bigger emphasis on qualitative evaluation like the classroom visits. Also, they propose a change in par for teachers that reflects of the outcome of their evaluation which is based on four components1) Knowledge and skills
2) Professional evaluation
3) Market incentives
4) Student growth
[3]